William sohuylee johnson



W. S. JOHNSON.

ELECTRICAL SIGNALING DEVIUE.

(No Model.)

No. 283,736. Patented Aug. 21, 1883.

1* NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLTAM SCHUYLER OHNSON, OF \VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

ELECTRICAL SIGNALING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 283,736, dated August21, 1883.

Application filed May 16, 1883.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known. that I, WILLIAM S. JonNsoN, ofWashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a new and usefulImprovement 5 in Electrical Signaling Devices, which improvement isfully set forth in the following specification.

This invention has more particular reference to devices for producing anaudible sig- IO nal upon a bell or other acoustic device, or

for operating an annunciator or other visible signaling device by theinterruption of the electric current, and is designed for use in systemsand under conditions where a code of 1 signals is employed to denote avariety of wants of the person calling. Such conditions exist in hotels,district-messenger service, pri- In. such systems the signals arecommonly produced by the use of the ordinary push-button, making andbreaking the circuit the proper number of times and for the properintervals to give the desired signal. With the employment of apush-button for this purpose it is a g 5 well-recognized difficulty thatthe liability to mistakes and confusion, arising from inattention orcarelessness on the part of the person calling, is very great.

It is the object of this invention to supply a o convenient device totake the place of the push-button and other circuit-breakers, and which,after one adjustment of a contact, will give the proper signal upon thebell or other device, and continue to repeat that signal, and

5 none other, until the call is heard and answered.

The invention consists in the combination, with a rotary disk or wheelhaving on its face a number of different sets or series of contact- 0surfaces arranged in concentric rings, of a circuit-closing deviceadapted to make contact with any of said sets or series, in thecombination, as hereinafter specified, of a circuit breaker having twoor more sets or series of contacts, as above explained, with amagnetogenerator, and in certain minor combinations of parts, ashereinafter fully set forth.

In the codes of signals employed in hotels, district-messenger service,and the like, each signal will have a definite meaning appropriated toit, and the respective signals that make up thecodediiibr from oneanother, either in (No model.)

the number of impulses sent over the line, and the consequent number ofsuccessive sounds produced on the bell or other audiblesignaling-instrument, or in the intervals of time that separate theimpulses from each other. In the present invention the movable circuitbreaker has arranged upon its surface a number of sets or series ofcontact-points, each set differing from every other set, either in thenumber of contact-points that it comprises, or in the intervals of spacethat separate the several contact-points from each other. In connectionwith such a circuit-breaker is employed a contact device, (which may bea spring to insure firm contact,) the office of which is to make contactwith the several points making up any set or series, so that each ofsaid contact-points will in turn, during. the movement of thecircuit-breaker, close the circuit through said contact device. Thecontact device is adjustable, so that it can be set at will in the lineof movement of any of said sets or series. For greater convenience andcertainty a graduated scale or indicator is arranged on the box or casecontaining the ap paratus, the several divisions corresponding to thelines of movement of the series of contact-points, and the adjustablespring or pin is provided with an index finger or pointer.

Having thus given a general indication of the nature of the saidinvention, I will now describe the manner in which the same is or may becarried into effect, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings,in which Figure 1 is a vertical section, and Fig. 2 a side view, of aportion of an ordinary magneto generator having the invention appliedthere to.

F is the crank-handle; F, the c ank-shaft, and F a gear-wheel thereonfor transmitting motion through pinion F to the armatureshaft F. Theseparts-are of ordinary con struction, and the armaturcnmgnets and otherparts of the generator being well known are omitted from the drawings.

A is the rotary circuit-breaker, being a wheel or disk having thecontact-points a on oneface. The different sets or series form havingbearings in the box or case E, and the coils, makes connection withwheel A.

rotary movement is imparted to it from the shaft F through a pinion, f.Thus the same movement which excites the operating-current in the coilsof the generator also rotates the wheel A, whereby the entire operationof signaling can be done-with one hand. The contact-surfaces a may beformed by raising them above the surface of the wheel A, by constructingthe wheel of conducting material and covering its face, except at thecontacts a, with an insulating paint or varnish, or with a thin sheet ofsuitable insulating material; or any other suitable construction may beadopted.

B is a contact spring or finger, one end, I), of which bears against thesurface of wheel A. The spring is pivoted at its other end, b to the boxor case E, and it can be turned on its pivot by means of the button orknob C,working in the curved slot 6, so as to bring the end I) into theline of rotation of any set or series or contacts a. Along the edge ofsaid slot is formed a graduated scale, as seen in Fig. 2, each divisionbeing distinguished by a nu1n-' her or other mark indicating the meaningof the signal which will be given when the pointer c or knob G is placedat that point. One end or the main line is led'to the spring B, whilethe other, after passing through the armature- The circuit, whencomplete, passes, therefore, through wheel A to spring I), by way of thecontact-surface a, which is at the time in contact with said spring.

The operation of the device will be readily understood. The knob 0 beingproperly set to make the signal desired the crank-handle F is turned,which both produces the operatingcurrent and rotates wheel A. As theseveral contacts of the series necessarily come opposite spring B, theywill close the circuit, producing a determinate signal. When Wheel A hasmade one rotation, the circuit will; be broken until the first contact aof the particular series again comes opposite the spring 13.

The signal will then be repeated as long as the handle F is turned.

. The details of construction may obviously be varied within wide limitswithout departing from the spirit of the invention; and the use of theapparatus is not limited to the applications named, but it will be foundavailable for a variety of purposes.

Having now fully described my said invention and the manner of carryingthe same into effect, what I claim isg 1. The combination, with amagneto-generator, of the rotary circuit-breaker having two or moreseries of contact-surfaces, and receiving motion from the crank-shaft ofsaid generator, and the adjustable pin, spring, or finger,

3. The combination, with a magneto-gener-- ator, of the toothed wheelgeared to a pinion on the crank-shaft of said generator, and having onits face series of contact-surfaces, and

the contact spring or finger for closing the circuit through any seriesof the contact-surfaces of said toothed wheel, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination, with a magnetogenerator, of the disk or wheelprovided with sets or series of contact-surfaces, and receiving motionfrom the crank-shaft, the adjustable spring, and the graduated scale,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

WVM. SOHUYLER JOHNSON.

